


Let's Hurt Tonight

by FlickeredHeart



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Bottom Robert Sugden, Car Accidents, Drowning, F/F, F/M, Graphic Description, Hospitalization, M/M, Mpreg, Natural birth shall be involved, Near Death, Post Mpreg, Surgery, graphic birth, natural birth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-02-02 12:29:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12726618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlickeredHeart/pseuds/FlickeredHeart
Summary: After a fight with Aaron, Robert turns reckless and makes a shock confession. But how far will Rebecca go to try and get Robert back into her arms?





	1. One

Nothing had been the same since Aaron had gone to prison; Liv had been acting up in school more than usual, Chas was a lot more reserved compared to how she would usually be when it came to her son being by her side, and Robert, well, it was safe to say that Robert had taken it the worst out of everyone. Robert Sugden could be the most difficult person to communicate with at times, but this time he seemed even worse, yet everyone was trying to be as understanding as possible; they didn’t know how it felt to marry your soulmate and then have him taken from you not even 24 hours later. But it had been five weeks since their wedding, five weeks since Aaron had been sentenced to twelve months imprisonment and, yet Robert was still struggling like it had only been five hours. He couldn’t even sleep in their bed without Aaron by his side, but that wasn’t the only thing that he was struggling with- well, at least considering to his younger sister’s observations; he wasn’t eating very much, and when he was, it didn’t take long for him to feel the need to rush to the bathroom to throw up the contents of his stomach. 

It didn’t help that he was also secluding himself from everyone else and if he wasn’t doing that, he was becoming defensive about almost everything, especially when it came to his relationships. Whether it was a friend or family member, he had no problem with tearing your head off, and it wasn’t healthy. Victoria was convinced that her older brother was beginning to either suffer from Depression or Separation Anxiety, both mental health disorders that needed to be taken seriously no matter how big or small the symptom seemed.   
“Right, don’t have a go, but are you sure you’re alright?” Victoria asked, looking up at her older brother with a worried look as she crossed her arms and chewed on the inside of her cheek- a habit she tended to carry out when she was either worried or stressed. “Yes, I’m fine, Liv isn’t even gone to school yet and you’re already asking,” the blond stated as he rolled his eyes, furrowing his eyebrows together when his sister was suddenly sending him daggers through her eyes. “Alright, smarty pants, I know what time it is; but can you really blame me for worrying? If you’re not sat up here feeling sorry for yourself on your own, you’re sat in the bar downstairs for the company, and when I finally get you to eat something, you’re legging it to the toilet to get sick- and don’t lie and try to deny it! I’ve heard you.” She explained in a stern tone, her older brother simply just frowning as he looked away from her; whether he wanted to admit it or not, Victoria was right, and it wasn’t normal for him to be acting the way he was. 

It was one thing to be depressed and feel lonely without his partner by his side, but while he didn’t know anything about depression, he was almost certain it wasn’t normal to throw up involuntarily after almost every meal. “Alright, so I’ve been off since Aaron has been gone… Pretty sure it’s like a grieving process, everyone’s different. Look, if it makes you feel better, when I get back from visiting Aaron I’ll book an appointment to see Doctor Cavanagh- you can even come with me, seeing as you’re so pushed.” The freckled male reasoned with the younger woman, smiling softly at her as she joyfully nodded in agreement before finally leaving so she could go downstairs to help Marlon prep the kitchen for their shift in The Woolpack.

* * *

When noon hit, Robert’s mood was no better than it had been earlier that morning, if anything, it was worse. He had thrown up at least four times already and he was yet to even eat anything, “Rob, I know you don’t want me moaning at you, but this isn’t normal. Aaron will understand if you don’t go, you could even ring him later this evening- Chas, tell him!” Victoria exclaimed with raised eyebrows, looking over at her boss as she placed her hands on her hips; there was no way she was going to let this lie without a fight. “Right, Vic has a point, you look like hell, the last thing Aaron needs is you going in looking like you haven’t slept in weeks. I’m sorry, love, but maybe you would be better off ringing him tonight. I’ll explain it all to him, he will understand.” Chas said in a calm manner, knowing that all of this would work Robert up into quite an unpleasant mood.

“What?! No, I- I promised I’d go see him, he- what if he’s waiting for me?!” Robert asked with a slight whimper, frowning as he scratched the back of his head, looking around in dismay. “I know, love, but if you’re not well, he’ll understand,” Chas said in a soothing tone, looking over at Victoria with a sad look on her face as she bit down on her bottom lip. “I know it’s disappointing, but it’ll be worth it in the long run. All Aaron will want is for you to feel better and take care of yourself. Do you really think he’d want to see you sick?” The older woman asked, Robert simply just shaking his head and looking down as he went quiet. As much as he hated it, the reality was that he and Aaron would more than likely end up fighting because Robert wasn’t looking after himself the way he had promised he would before his husband had to leave.

“Aaron loves you unconditionally, he wouldn’t marry you if he wasn’t fully committed to you. It has been such a long time since he has been this happy and content. We may have gotten off to an incredibly rocky start, but you’ve proven yourself in more ways than any of us thought imaginable. And whether you like it or not, you’re a Dingle now, and it’s incredibly difficult to get out of our family.” Chas said with a chuckle, the younger male’s eyes becoming glossy as tears started to well up in them, “thank you,” he choked out, sniffling as his mother-in-law walked over to him with opened arms; pulling him in for a warm embrace as she simply just rubbed his back and held him. “I’ll tell him you wanted to come, but he will appreciate you choosing to look after yourself. I’ll tell him you’ll call later, okay? Everything is going to be fine.”

All Robert could do was nod as a tear started to trickle down his cheek, after a moment, he pulled from Chas’s embrace and quickly wiped his eyes as he forced a smile. “You’re right- I know you’re right… I just- yeah, just tell him I’m sorry… I’m going to ring the surgery and see if I can get an earlier appointment.” Both Chas and Victoria just smiled up at the blond as he quietly walked out of the room; for once, Robert Sugden did as he was told. Pulling out his phone, the freckled male dialled Abbot Lane Surgery, taking a deep breath as he walked out to his car and got in. “Hello? Yeah, hi, this is Robert Sugden… Is there any way I could change my appointment with Doctor Cavanagh? Yeah, I had scheduled for two o’clock this afternoon, but uhm, something’s come up. I- yeah, don’t worry, I’ll hold. Thank you.”

* * *

By one o’clock that afternoon, Robert and Victoria were on their way to Abbot Lane Surgery while Chas was on her way to Hotten Prison, it wasn’t right, al Robert wanted was to see his beautiful husband; to hug him, hold him for just a few seconds and talk to him. He wanted to savour every second of it, but now because of something he can’t control, he can’t be there. Deep down he knows he’s doing the right thing, but as of right now, he feels like he’s being selfish by putting himself before Aaron. It was a horrible feeling, but all the older male could hope for now was that his husband would understand and that when he would finally get an appeal, he would spend the rest of his life making it up to the man he was so deeply in love with.


	2. Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chas visits Aaron in Prison, while Robert goes to visit Doctor Cavanagh with Victoria.

After a fifteen-minute drive, Robert was pulling up in the car park, sighing as he found a parking spot and turned the car off, his eyes drifting towards his little sister as he rested his hand over the buckle of his seatbelt. He really didn’t want to get out of this car, he just wanted to drive away and go to the Prison to see Aaron. “I know this is the last place you want to be, but no matter what, we’ll get through this together and like Chas said, Aaron will just be glad you’re looking after yourself. Now, c'mon, the last thing we need is Emma going mad at us because we’re late for the appointment you rescheduled to be earlier.” The younger girl teased, smiling brightly at her brother as she happily took her seatbelt off and got out of the car and amazingly, Robert just nodded his head and got out just seconds later. He wasn’t worried about his appointment, but at the same time, there was this little voice in the back of his head telling him that he needed to be prepared for the unexpected; usually, things like that in his mind were never wrong, so this was really the only thing that worried him.

But even with that doubt in his mind, Robert tried to seem as confident as ever as he walked into the Surgery with his little sister by his side, smiling softly as he went up to Emma Barton at the reception desk to check himself in. “Is it alright if Victoria comes in with me?” He asked, looking over at his sibling and just shrugging in response to the face she made at him. “Yeah, absolutely, whatever you’re most comfortable with. Just take a seat and you’ll be called shortly.” Emma explained with a warm smile, walking off to the side to type in Robert’s name to say he had checked in. As soon as he sat down, Robert looked up at the clock on the wall and sighed; Chas would more than likely be greeting Aaron by now.

* * *

Chas was sat at the small table alone, nervously fidgeting with her fingers as she waited for her son to appear; she wanted more than anything for her son to be happy, but she knew he would more than likely be disappointed to see that Robert wasn’t by her side this time. Of course, Aaron would understand, he always did, but the last thing she wanted was to cause her son any other worry, especially with this inmate bullying him like there’s no tomorrow. If he got wind of this, she had no idea what he would fill Aaron’s with and that terrified her, Robert loved Aaron more than words could put together, but this inmate Jason always seemed to know exactly what to say to tear her precious boy down. It was something that needed to be stopped, but this wasn’t like a school bully, this was a prison and unfortunately, unless Aaron wanted to go into solitary confinement, there was no stopping this disgusting abuse. 

As the alarm went off, Chas smiled and stood up as she watched the cell door open for all the inmates to walk into the room and go to those that were there to visit. She beamed as soon as she saw Aaron, but suddenly, her smile turned into a frown; his hands were tucked under his wine jumper, he looked pale and he was consistently looking over his shoulder. This wasn’t her Aaron. “Hiya, love,” The older woman greeted in a gentle tone, her smile frail as she sat down in sync with her son. “How have you been.” She asked in a loving tone, biting down on her bottom lip as she kept her eyes locked on her son. “Hiya,” Aaron replied simply, his head down as he fidgeted with his fingers that were still tucked under his jumper, causing Chas to grow more concerned; looking around before leaning into the table to get closer to her son. “Aaron, you’re scaring me now, what’s going on?” She asked her son in a much sterner tone, the younger male finally looking up at her with furrowed eyebrows, his response is nothing more than a quick shrug, “nothing, why? I- where’s Robert?” He asked, attempting to get the attention away from himself, “he’s not well, love, Victoria is up at the surgery with him now… I told him it would be better if he went and got checked out rather than come here looking like death.” The older woman explained, her smile beginning to fade even further away as she saw the disappointment grow in her son’s eyes. “Aaron, I’m so sorry, he told us you would be disappointed, but we didn’t listen…. I’m so sorry, he wanted to come so badly, but Vic and I made him go to the doctors instead… We were sure that’s what you would’ve wanted,” she tried to explain, now feeling one hundred times worse than how she felt over coming to visit her son without his husband. “No, no- I’m glad you’ve sent him to get checked out, the last thing I want is him getting sick… I just- I don’t know, I guess I was just looking forward to seeing him. But it’s fine, there’s always next time and it’ll be worth it, won’t it? Absence makes the heart grow stronger, and all that…” The younger brunette tried with a bleak smile, wanting to come across as happy and optimistic as possible even though the last thing he wanted to do right now was smile. “Alright, how’s Liv?” He asked, sighing and looking up at the ceiling when he watched his mother’s smile go completely, “right, what’s happened?” He asked, looking back at the older woman as he bit down on his bottom lip and rubbed his temples.

“I hate that I’m making this visit more depressing by the second, but Liv has been excluded from school,” Chas explained, Aaron looking at her with wide eyes and a shocked expression before letting out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t believe this… No wonder Robert’s not well! He’s probably stressed beyond belief trying to deal with her! I beg her to stay out of trouble at least until I got back, and she couldn’t even do that?!” He ranted in a whisper, wanting to avoid any more attention being brought on himself. “I know, love, I know. But you’ve got to think of it from her perspective, she’s missing ye, we all are… Robert is doing everything he can to get her back in school, I promise, it’ll all be sorted by the time you’re out of here.” The older Dingle explained, Aaron simply just sighing and nodding in response, “alright, just send Liv and Robert my love… I love you too, mum.” He said with a small smile, Chas smiling sweetly in return before sighing as the alarm went off to indicate that their time was already up. “I’ll see you soon,” the older woman said softly, biting down on her bottom lip as she watched her son walk away with all the other prisoners. 

What was Aaron hiding?

* * *

“Robert Sugden?” Doctor Cavanagh called as he stepped out of his office, Robert and Victoria both standing up and looking at one another before walking towards the man that was waiting for them to come inside, “good afternoon,” the doctor greeted, smiling as he stepped inside behind the two siblings, closing the door behind himself and then proceeding to sit at his desk to face the duo. “Robert, what seems to be the problem?” He asked, Robert looking over at his little sister before facing the doctor, biting down on his bottom lip as he contemplated just how honest he should be. “Well, I- uhm, for a couple of weeks I haven’t really been feeling like myself? I’ve been vomiting quite a lot, and when I’m not, I tend to have this nauseous feeling all day… I’ve also been feeling more tired than usual, I go to bed at 9pm and I sleep throughout the night, but when I get up the next morning it’s like I haven’t slept at all. I won’t lie, though, for a while I was struggling to sleep with Aaron being away.” The blond admitted, Victoria smiling sweetly at her older brother as she tried to get some idea of what Doctor Cavanagh was thinking. “Anything else, Mr Sugden?” The doctor asked, causing Robert to scratch the back of his head; needing to think for a moment, “I- I've also been getting quite lightheaded recently, I just put it down to not being able to keep anything down. Uhm, the only other thing I can think of is that I’ve been urinating a lot more frequently, and every so often I get this twinge in my lower abdomen. It’s like a cramp, but it doesn’t last that long.” He explained, his younger sister giving him a look of sorrow, a look that probably translated to her wanting to know why he didn’t say anything sooner.

“Do you have any idea what it could be?” Victoria asked nervously, Doctor Cavanagh looking up at the duo and setting his pen down, “I can’t be one hundred percent certain, but it’s more than likely that they’re all linked together; I don’t think you’re sick, I think it may be from a form of grief since Aaron- your husband has left. But to be certain, and to also put your mind at ease, I would like to do a few tests just to have that extra confirmation. I do have a strong feeling that you’re actually very healthy and all of this is down to mental attributes, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t at least check.” Doctor Cavanagh explained in a friendly manner, smiling softly as Robert simply nodded in response. “Great, while I put all of this into your file on the computer, could you pop your shoes, belt and shirt off for me, please?” Once again, Robert simply just responded with a nod, standing up and beginning to unbutton his shirt; smiling softly at Victoria as she held his belongings for him. 

As soon as he was ready, Doctor Cavanagh stood up and walked over to the freckled male, starting off the examination with checking the other’s height and weight. As expected they were both normal, so next Robert was asked to sit on the side of the examination bed; being instructed to take in deep breaths and then release in an exhale while Doctor Cavanagh listening to his heart and lungs. Again, everything was normal, so the next and really, the final test was a urine sample. Like any patient wanting to get answers on why he felt so unwell, Robert complied and went into the bathroom to give his GP a sample of his urine, and at this point, everyone was expecting for it to also come back up as normal. But it didn’t. 

It came back positive for pregnancy. But Doctor Cavanagh didn’t say anything, instead, he got a tray ready with a variety of little tubes, so he could carry out some blood work on Robert. Once that was also done and he had got the wound to stop bleeding with pressure, he allowed Robert to redress while he typed everything on to his virtual file. As soon as Robert was ready and was once again sat down, the brunette man looked at both Sugdens and bit down on his bottom lip. “I don’t want to worry you over something that could easily be nothing, but in your urine sample, it came back positive for a pregnancy, but as you know, men _can’t_ get pregnant, which means normally when something like this shows up it can be a possible detection of testicular cancer. But I’ve also taken enough blood to test for everything, so if there are any abnormalities they will definitely show up. In the meantime, I would like you to book another appointment for you to come see me in a week or two, so we can discuss whatever results have come back and if you are comfortable with it, I would like to do a prostate exam, you can check your testicles in your own time, but if you would like me to check them, I will do that in your next appointment also. I’m very sorry I can’t send you home with some better news.”

“I- no it’s fine, uhm, thank you for your time… I guess I’ll see you in a week’s time.” Robert finally spoke up, blinking back a few tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes as he stood up and shook the doctor’s hand, quickly walking out and going to book his next appointment; not even waiting for Victoria as he dashed out to his car and got in before starting up the ignition. After thanking the doctor, Victoria quickly dashed out of the room and quickly followed her brother, sniffling as she walked over to the car and opened the door on the passenger’s side, her tears finally falling as she got in and looked over at her older brother. “Robert…” She whimpered, beginning to cry as her brother also started to crumble, his hand going over his mouth as he choked out a sob and was instantly pulled into a hug by his sister. 

“Shhh, it’s alright, we’ll get through this, I promise, you’re going to be fine…. It’s going to be fine…”


	3. Unexpectedly Wonderful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doctor Cavanagh calls Robert with his test results, and it's nothing anyone could have expected.

Three days had passed since Robert had been to visit Doctor Cavanagh, he wasn’t to return until his next appointment which was only four days away, but the last thing the blond expected was to get a phone call from the surgery requesting him to come in today rather than wait four more days; surely that meant it wasn’t good news, something must have shown up in his bloods that required him to know the truth as soon as possible. Did he have Cancer? Was he going to die? Was he not even going to make it to see Aaron come out of prison? He had no idea, all he knew right now was that he needed to get to the surgery as quickly as possible. 

But just as he was about to walk out the door, a voice from behind caused him to freeze and turn around; it was Liv and she looked terrified. “Robert, I thought you weren’t supposed to be visiting Aaron until later?” She asked, causing Robert to bite down on his bottom lip, deciding it would be best to lie about going to visit her brother earlier rather than worry her by telling her his results had come in at the Surgery and they needed him to come in straight away. “I- yeah, I know, but the Prison called, so I’m going in now instead.” He started, his eyebrows furrowing together when it seemed like the younger girl was starting to panic and grow even more concerned. “Robert, I- nothing has happened, right? Like, Aaron is okay, isn’t he?” she asked, “yeah, of course, he is, why wouldn’t he be?” Robert quickly asked, closing the door before walking closer to the girl, “Liv, what’s happened?” He asked, “I- look, I’m so sorry, I know I should’ve said something sooner, but Aaron begged me not to-” Robert interjected, “Liv! Tell me, what has Aaron told you?” Liv’s eyes instantly started to water as she sniffled and looked down at her feet, “I- he’s been taking Spice…” She admitted, the truth hitting Robert so hard that he didn’t even say anything, instead, he just rushed out through the back of The Woolpack and got into his car before speeding off. It all made sense now, how Chas had told him that Aaron had seemed so jumpy when she went to visit him. He was just desperate for his next fix. Robert was absolutely furious, but he still had to wait until after lunch to go and actually visit his husband, so instead of doing something stupid, he just drove to the Surgery so he could discuss his results with Doctor Cavanagh.

* * *

After a tense drive into Hotten, Robert finally arrived at the Surgery and pulled into a parking space; he didn’t know what he was supposed to think as he got out of his car and hesitantly made his way up to the entrance; Emma Barton visible through the glass double doors. As he walked into the reception area, he chewed on the inside of his cheek as he walked up to the Barton woman and signed himself in, “okay, just take a seat, you shouldn’t be waiting too long.” Emma assured with a warm smile, going over to the computer and entering Robert as checked in. The younger male simply just nodded his head, sighing as he turned around and found a seat in the corner of the room; not wanting the familiar faces in the room to see him. Sure, Moira probably wouldn’t think anything of it, but Rebecca, Chrissie, Lachlan, and Lawrence were all there for check-ups and their flu vaccines; the last thing the Sugden needed was to be accused of trying to somehow sabotage them. Deep down he didn’t really care, he had much bigger things to deal with. 

It took at least fifteen minutes for Doctor Cavanagh to reappear from his office, a small smile across his lips as he said goodbye to the patient he had just finished with, his chart in his hand as he looked down at it; scanning it for a moment, his head lifted, and he finally called out Robert’s name. As the Whites scowled and looked around to find the man, Robert just rolled his eyes and stood up; not even daring to look over at the family as he smiled lightly at his doctor before being led into his office.

“Mr Sugden, could you pop yourself up on the examination table for me, please?” Doctor Cavanagh asked in a calm manner, Robert simply just nodding in response as he looked over at the brunette before taking a seat on the edge of the examination table. “Is it serious?” He finally spoke up, biting down lightly on his bottom lip as he looked up at the doctor, the older man looking over at his patient before furrowing his eyebrows and frowning slightly as he looked down on the floor for a moment, thinking of the right words to say as he looked back up at his patient and then sighed. “It’s not that it’s serious, it’s something that shouldn’t even be possible- it’s a very complicated situation… You’re pregnant, Robert.” The physician finally explained, getting a diagram from behind his desk to bring over closer to the blond, the shocked expression on the other pretty much being what he had expected since finding out the results himself.

“I know it sounds absurd, but after running all the appropriate tests and getting them checked over multiple times, it turns out you were born with Persistent Müllerian Duct Syndrome, it’s a disorder of sexual development that affects males; males with this disorder, like yourself, are born with normal male reproductive organs, but they’re also born with a fully functioning uterus and fallopian tubes, which, of course, are female reproductive organs. The uterus and fallopian tubes are derived from a structure called the Müllerian duct during development of the fetus. The Müllerian duct would normally disappear in male fetuses, due to the hormones they produce that would reduce and eventually cause it to disappear. But in babies with PMDS, the hormones are sometimes not produced fast enough or correctly enough to cause this to happen. The duct then turns into a womb. Which in your case, has happened.” Doctor Cavanagh explained, using his diagram to point everything out to the clearly confused man, setting it down on the floor as soon as he had finished speaking. “I know this is probably a huge shock, but looking back at your previous medical records, there’s no other real explanation. In your late teens, you came in when you noticed blood coming from your anus, all those tests were clear, and you were on medication, and it stopped, but then when I saw you just a few days ago, you said your last doctor took you off the medication and it’s started again. Robert, that’s essentially been your period, the medication you were on had extra hormones in it, so it would have made those organs stop functioning normally. You’ve been off the medication for a year, you’ve explained to me that you’ve had unprotected intercourse with your partner, so Robert, you’re pregnant and amazingly, you will be able to carry this baby to term as long as you take proper care of yourself.” 

While he had taken everything in and knew that this wasn’t some sort of sick joke, Robert simply just sat there in stunned silence; his eyes wide and his skin gone pale as he simply just nodded in response. There were so many things going through his mind, most of his thoughts being about Aaron; this was so unbelievable, Aaron would probably tell him he was insane and leave him. If he lost Aaron, he didn’t know what he would do, especially now. He was carrying their baby and that suddenly made him feel like he had a duty to protect this innocent human being that was now relied on him to keep it safe and healthy. “I… uh, sorry, how would I give birth?” He asked, looking up at the doctor with furrowed eyebrows now added to the confused expression on his face. “Essentially, you could give birth naturally through the anal canal, but the safest option for both you and the baby would definitely be a cesarean section.” The brunette physician explained simply, smiling softly at Robert as he crossed his arms. “Now, if you pop your shirt off and lie back on the bed, we can find out how far along you are,” he requested, the blond finally beginning to come back to his senses as he nodded and took his shirt off, setting it at the end of the examination bed before lying down; his eyes locked on the ceiling as Doctor Cavanagh set up the ultrasound machine, typing in all of Robert’s details before picking the transducer and squeezing a little blob of gel onto the other’s abdomen. As he ran the transducer over the blond’s abdomen, zooming in on the screen as he pressed slightly harder under the younger male’s naval, smiling slightly as the sac came into view; the doctor’s eyes widening slightly as he zoomed in some more and took a picture. “You’re 5 weeks pregnant, but by the looks of the sac, there are two yolk sacs inside of it. Congratulations, Robert, you’re expecting identical twins.”

“What? I- how is that possible?” Robert asked in a stunned voice, lightly biting down on his bottom lip as he looked up at the practitioner. “Well, identical twins usually result from an early embryo dividing into two genetically identical embryos. Both babies will more than likely be the same sex, but it’s far too early to find out. Plus, I wouldn’t put it past you to be one of the rare cases of identical twins of opposite sexes.” The freckled male simply nodded his head, “but everything looks how it should?” He asked, “considering the circumstances, I would say you’re in perfect health and from what I can tell, so is everything on the pregnancy spectrum.” The doctor responded, zooming out on the screen and moving the transducer around Robert’s abdomen so he could take some more pictures for his patient to bring home with him.

Completing the ultrasound, Doctor Cavanagh looked over at Robert as he wiped the gel off of his stomach, “right, I’ll go print these off and give you a minute to get dressed, I’ll be right back.” The older man explained in a friendly tone, switching the lights back on and pulling a curtain to give Robert some privacy while he left the room. Standing up, Robert looked down at his stomach and smiled softly, gently resting his hands over it as he started to become emotional; he was carrying his and Aaron’s children, maybe everything would be okay after all. 

By the time Robert had put his shirt and leather jacket back on, Doctor Cavanagh came back into the room with the envelope that contained the photos from the scan he had just carried out on Robert to confirm his pregnancy and current stage. “Alright, if you don’t have any more questions, you’re free to go. I would like you to make a follow-up appointment for when you’ve reached the twelfth week of your pregnancy, I’ll do the normal check-up, height, weight, scan and some bloodwork and then I will refer you to Hotten General. Thank you for coming in on such short notice and congratulations.” The man said with a warm smile, Robert happily shaking the doctor’s hand and thanking him before being handed the envelope and then being shown out; he happily walked up to the front desk to Emma and made a follow-up appointment for 7 week’s time. But even with news so wonderful and surprising, Robert left the Surgery with the thoughts running through his mind about his husband taking drugs while he was in prison. At this point, Robert didn’t know what to expect anymore, he knew that while it would probably seem slightly hasty, he had to be harsh. This was no longer just about himself and Aaron anymore, as well as Liv, they would be welcoming two innocent babies into the world and that wasn’t the type of thing anyone deserved to be brought into, especially when they never asked for it.

As he got into his car and started the engine, Robert set the envelope on he passenger’s seat and sighed as he put on his seatbelt and then pulled out of his parking space. This was going to be one of the hardest visits since Aaron had entered prison.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	4. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert's visit with Aaron went anything but well.

Robert didn’t know what to expect during his visit with Aaron, the only thing he knew for certain that he was going to talk about what Liv had told him and he was determined to tell his husband about the news he had just received from Doctor Cavanagh. Although both himself and Aaron had briefly discussed their future together, how they felt about one day starting a family together either through a surrogate or adoption; it wasn’t something they spoke about often, but Robert knew his husband, he knew how much he loved children and he knew that the news of them having their own biological children together was something they could only ever dream about. But now it was a reality for them and all he could hope that throughout all their troubles, this would bring them closer together and they would be able to get past all those obstacles for the future of their children.

As he reached the prison, Robert took a deep breath as he found a parking spot; the prospect of having to see Aaron possibly going through withdrawals, being high or something worse really did terrify him. But Aaron was his husband and no matter what he was struggling with, Robert was committed completely; there was nothing that would make him leave the younger man. He loved him with all his heart, he may not show it all the time, but the truth is that without Aaron, Robert would be nothing.

* * *

Once he had checked in and had been searched by the guards, Robert walked into the visiting area and took a seat, anxiously waiting for the inmates to be allowed in for their visit; if Aaron were to make up an excuse for not being able to see him again, Robert wouldn’t even be joking when he would say he would get himself locked up just so he could see his husband. Luckily for the older man, he didn’t have to wait much longer, because, less than ten minutes later, the arm rang out through the building and the barred-up doors were unlocked as inmates started to make their way inside to go and sit with their loved ones. 

Normally, Robert would smile as soon as his partner would come into sight, but today, he couldn’t even bring himself to fake one. Aaron looked worse than Robert could have ever imagined; his brunette hair damp and messily stuck to his forehead, whereas his wine prison jumper looked raggedy and huge on him; this wasn’t the Aaron Dingle, Robert Sugden knew and loved. What made matters worse, the younger man seemed so jumpy, he hadn’t been sat down for more than five minutes and he was already looking around like he was afraid somebody would come up from behind him and terrify him. “Hey ya…” The inmate mumbled, his head bowed as he anxiously fidgeted with his fingers, not even able to find it in himself to look up at his husband. 

“You alright?” Robert asked, a slightly concerned look on his face as he locked his eyes on the man in front of him, “yeah, sweet!” The younger man responded, biting down on his bottom lip as he looked around once more before taking a deep breath and forcing a smile as he finally made eye contact with the blond sat across from him. “What’s this all about?” Robert asked innocently, his husband’s eyebrows furrowing in confusion as he twisted the sleeve of his jumper in his fingers, beginning to stutter and stumble as he tried to come up with a response. “I…. wha- what’re you talking about?” He asked, Robert, grinning slightly as he tried to play everything off like it as fine; he thought maybe if he seemed fine about everything, maybe Aaron would be more open and honest with him rather than thinking he had to hide everything from him. “I don’t know, you just seem really jumpy…. I’m sorry I couldn’t visit you the other day, Chas said she explained it to you.” The younger male simply just looked away from the other, a fake smile crossing his lips as he nodded and shrugged in response, “uhh- yeah, yeah she didn’t… Don’t worry about it.” He said simply, causing the older man’s heart to break slightly. He may have been able to look at Aaron, but there was nothing on the inside; the man he once knew and loved seemed so bleak and empty, and it just wasn’t normal. The Aaron Dingle that Robert knew would’ve been worried about him turning down a visit to go to the doctor’s instead, the Aaron Dingle that Robert knew would’ve been asking him question upon question about how he was doing and if he was okay. But the man in front of him right now, that wasn’t Aaron Dingle. “Aaron, if you’re having any problem or if you’re in any sort of trouble, you know I would understand…” The freckled male explained, Aaron’s eyes shooting back to his husband’s as this panic look washed over him out of nowhere, “Robert what is this? I’m fine, just stop worrying…” The brunette snapped in a whisper, glaring somewhat at his partner, a shocked look taking over Robert’s face; this really wasn’t how Aaron usually wouldn’t react. Not even close, in fact.

“Aaron, I’m giving you the chance to be honest with me here,” Robert sighed out, his eyes shutting as he took a deep breath and opened his eyes again, trying to keep himself calm. Aaron did the exact same thing, his finger fidgeting only beginning to get worse as he anxiously looked around and took a deep breath, keeping silent, this causing Robert to become more agitated. “What? Have you got nothing to say?” He asked in a stern tone, that causing Aaron to become frustrated as he sighed once again and rolled his eyes, practically glaring at the older man as he sat forward and looked at him. “What do you want me to say, Robert? I’m stuck in here, there’s nothing else to say or to do… Excuse me for being a bit quiet.” The brunette snapped, “don’t you even want to know why?” Robert interjected, the younger male sighing and looking down as he nodded and went quiet, “yeah, yeah of course I do… Sorry, go on.” He apologized, looking into Robert’s eyes as he started to settle down again. “Well what’s the point in telling ye, you’re not really listening.” Robert stated, Aaron once again beginning to lose his temper as he stared down his husband, “have you just come in here to have a go at me?” He asked. “No, I’ve come in here to try sort you out.” The blond admitted, “and what needs sorting?” Aaron asked, shrugging as he furrowed his eyebrows together, “you tell me.” Robert once again interrupted, sitting forward as he leaned into the table; his eyes never disconnecting from Aaron’s. “Robert, I’m fine, there’s nothing to worry about.” The brunette lied, looking away from Robert as he could feel his husband staring through him. “Stop treating me like an idiot! Liv told me anything. What’re you playing at?” Robert finally blurted out, ensuring that he keep quiet so none of the guards could hear what he just said.

The look on Aaron’s face said it all, how his eyes widened and his mouth gaped open; the look of complete terror and shame taking over in his eyes. He could deny it all he wanted, but that look on his face confirmed it all for Robert. “Do you not understand how much this is affecting her? She’s been drinking, she’s been hitting people, the school has completely given up on her. And then you, her big brother, the one who promised to protect her, make her hide something like that? Aaron, she’s not coping- none of us are.” Aaron just rolled his eyes, beginning to chew on the sleeve of his jumper as he rested his arms on the table between both him and Robert. “Well she’s tough as nails, she’ll be fine.” He stated simply, “no, she won’t- she’s not. She’s a kid and she’s worried sick. So am I, come to that.” The blond interjected once more only in a much harsher tone; he was so over with playing these ridiculous games, he couldn’t take any more of Aaron’s denial. He stayed quiet for a moment, simply just sitting in silence as he watched his husband’s eyes fill with tears as he started to frown. “Don’t we mean anything to ye?” He asked, Aaron finally looking at him and furrowing his eyebrows as it seemed like that question really seemed to hit him hard. “Yeah, okay I’m sorry…” He mumbled, “but it’s not a big deal, in here everyone is on something. Alright, they found the smallest bit of stuff under my pillow, but I managed to convince them that it had nothing to do with me, so it’s all fine now.” Robert’s eyebrows raised, a frown now growing on his own face as he rubbed his forehead and sighed. “What’s happened to you?” He asked, Aaron instantly sending him daggers and interjecting before his husband could say anymore, “you’ve got no idea what it’s like to be banged up, which is ridiculous really when you think about it, really, considering I’ve never actually killed someone- “

“Don’t!” Robert snapped, their once somewhat peaceful conversation quickly turning into a full-blown whispered argument. “You reckon you’ve got it tough? I’ve been imagining all sorts, worrying that you’ve been beaten up or something worse- I’ve been at the doctors because I’ve been having near fainting spells, and all this time you’ve been in here getting off your face?” Aaron simply just shook his head, “you’re overreacting… I’m careful.” The brunette stated, chewing the inside of his cheek as he sighed. “What? So careful that your fifteen-year-old sister has even sold you out? Are you forgetting about Holly? Your cousin who died from a drug overdose? Aaron, we need you, we all want you to come home. But that won’t happen if you keep this up, you’ll end up ruining your appeal, getting locked away in here for years or worse- you need to stop this, please… This isn’t how I wanted to tell you this, but clearing nothing else is working; Aaron, I’m pregnant with twins… Doctor Cavanagh called this morning and asked me to come in to confirm it. We’re going to be dads.” The blond admitted with the smallest smile, but the look on Aaron’s face just made him feel sick; he expected him to look confused, but when that confusion turned to disgust, Robert felt like he was about to get sick. 

“And you say I’m off my head? Get out, I don’t need you or your _mutant_ spawn. This is the last time I agree to come see you.” Aaron snapped, tears springing to Robert’s eyes as he looked away and sniffled; his bottom lip beginning to quiver as he struggled to keep himself composed. “Aaron, please just think about our future- you, me, Liv and our kids, please…” The blond begged, Aaron simply scoffing in his face as he sat back and rolled his eyes, “that means nothing to me in here… You’re worth nothing. Just leave me alone.” Aaron threatened, getting up and storming out of the room before Robert could say another word. But as he walked away, his tears started to fall, he suddenly felt so much guilt for what he had said, how he had treated Robert; none of it was right, but in that moment, it seemed like the only real solution.

* * *

Robert never expected that from Aaron, not in a million years; it was one thing to tell him he meant nothing to him, but to call their children mutants tore his heart in two. As soon as visiting had finished, Robert rushed out of the building and got in his car; suddenly breaking down crying as he took the small white envelope out of his pocket and took out his ultrasound photo. Sure, they definitely didn’t look anything like a baby yet, but it was all too much for Robert to handle. He felt broken, more than he ever thought possible. “I’m so sorry…” He sobbed, resting his head back on his seat and sniffling as he held the photo to his heart and continued to cry.

_Robert Sugden never cried._


	5. Silenced

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert is left alone with Rebecca, and it all goes wrong.

Staying up all night feeling sorry for himself was far from what Robert thought he would be doing after his visit with Aaron; he had avoided Liv’s calls all night and he just sat in the home that he had been working so hard on getting finished for when his husband would be home. That definitely wasn’t going to happen anymore, he had trashed it out of rage during the night, he had even slept on the floor and even when Victoria called, he didn’t even hear it. He had promised to tell his little sister what Doctor Cavanagh had said, but after everything with Aaron, he just wanted to forget the world even existed. But now the sun was shining through the destroyed bedroom and Robert was finally awake, he still wasn’t ready to begin existing in the world again, but he couldn’t put himself first anymore, so he stood up from the cold, dusty ground and sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair; taking in the damage he had done last night. But before he could even dwell on getting lost in his thoughts, footsteps came up behind him and all he could do was roll his eyes and sigh at the sight in front of him; Rebecca White. “Hi… Adam said you weren’t in the best mood last night, did you get bad news from the doctor? Victoria was talking about you getting called in early for your results, plus, we all saw you… Sorry.” The blonde explained in a friendly tone, biting her bottom lip as she stepped closer to Robert; soothingly beginning to rub his back as he turned away from him. “You can talk to me, I promise I haven’t been sent here on a spy mission.” She stated simply, smiling softly as Robert finally turned to face her, “he said I’m nothing to him anymore… He doesn’t want to see me again, we’re done, Bex. Everyone thinks I get everything I want, but I don’t… All I want is to spend the rest of my life being with Aaron and I’ve lost that, the person I visited yesterday that wasn’t Aaron; he’s changed and I don’t think I can handle it. I just- I can’t believe we’re through.” Robert blurted out sadly, sniffling as he looked down at the ground; the smashed photo of him and Aaron on their wedding day looking up at him as his guilt started to hit home. 

Robert being vulnerable was all Rebecca needed, a smirk appearing as the taller male stood with his back to her, the girl confidently strutting over to the other and leaning in to kiss him, but the last thing she expected was to be pushed away from him. “What the hell are you doing?” The eldest Sugden yelled at the girl, looking at her with confusion as he stepped away from her, “I’m married to Aaron- I love Aaron.” He declared, Rebecca staying silent for a moment before finally finding her voice, “But you just said you were both finished? You told me you were broken up- done.” She tried, Robert scoffing as he crossed his arms and looked around before setting his eyes back to his ex’s sister. “I know what I said, but I’m not giving up on him. Aaron is going to get this appeal and he’s coming home, I don’t care what it takes, I’ll do whatever I have to do to get him clean, to help him recover from all of this. I love him more than words could ever say, and a desperate tart like you isn’t going to suddenly change that. What he said yesterday devastated me, but I still love him, I know I can get my Aaron back.” He stated passionately, stepping back once again as Rebecca tried to step closer to him. But she didn’t have to because as she went to speak, she looked down at the ground and noticed a white envelope beneath her feet; stepping back, she bent down and picked it up, her eyebrows raising as Robert suddenly spoke up and told her to hand it to him.

“Oh, c’mon, Rob, we’re friends… Friends share things.” She stated with a grin opening up the envelope and gawking at the ultrasound picture that she pulled out of it, quickly stepping back when Robert made a desperate attempt to try and grab the photo from her grasp. “Oooh, Robert, cheeky, you managed to knock someone up? No wonder Aaron dumped you; so much for being faithful, eh?” She teased with a smirk, the male stood across from her simply staying quiet and looking down. “I’ll have to pass this on to Vic, I mean, she is baby crazy, after all.”

“No! Don’t, it- it’s mine… That’s what Doctor Cavanagh wanted to see me for yesterday, I’m pregnant; Aaron and I are having twins.” Robert confessed, sighing as he rubbed his temples and looked over at the woman, “it’s a long story, but it’s true. Doctor Cavanagh is almost positive the twins are identical. You can’t tell anyone, the last thing I need is for this to spread around, nobody knows.” He explained, he had no concern for himself in the situation, but the last thing he wanted was for his sister and sister-in-law to find out from someone else rather than from himself. Hearing this information sent Rebecca’s mind racing, but suddenly, the White gene inside her finally kicked in and she knew how to get exactly what she wanted; blackmail. “Alright, I won’t tell, but only if you do as I tell you too. Now, I won’t make you sleep with me because that would be sexual assault and I’m not going down for you. But, we’re going to pretend we did and you’re going to play along, otherwise, your miracle sprogs will be in the news. You’ve got 24 hours to decide what you want your future to entail. Bye, Robert.” With one final smirk, the blonde happily left Mill Cottage, Robert’s ultrasound falling to the ground as the front door could be heard shutting from the bedroom; never in his life did Robert think Rebecca would find it in her to get her own back at him, but she had and it involved the thing that meant the most to him. Whether he liked it or not, he was going to have to say yes to what Rebecca wanted, but it terrified him, because he could end up losing his family over a lie, a lie made up by a fantasist that couldn’t get over the fact that he would never choose her over anyone else again.

This was going to be the longest time of his life, but if it would protect those he loved, it was worth it.

* * *

_Right?_


	6. Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Robert find solace in his new family? Has Aaron finally started to see the truth in his husband's confession?

Rebecca had given Robert 24 hours to make a decision on the offer she had made him. So far, 4 hours had past and he was still in his and Aaron’s bedroom at Mill Cottage; pacing around aimlessly as he tried to clear his mind. One part of him wanted to give in and say yes to her, but the other part wanted him to fight like he had never fought before because this wasn’t just about him anymore. This wouldn’t just affect him, it would affect Aaron, Liv and their twins in more ways than he could ever imagine; if people from the media were to get involved, it would follow their family forever and that wasn’t what Robert wanted. But at the same time, if he did agree, he could lose everyone he cares about over a petty lie created out of spite; he had made a vow to Aaron, he had promised to be faithful, and a lie like that would cause more harm than good. Robert was conflicted, but this didn’t have to be a battle on his own, so instead of wallowing in self-pity, he picked his ultrasound picture off the ground, securely put it in his jacket pocket and rushed out of the mid-renovated home before beginning to walk down to The Woolpack. It was probably a long shot, but if he told Chas the truth, surely, she would be able to help him somehow; even if it was only giving her a warning about what Rebecca was planning, it was better than leaving everyone in the dark and eventually having it all blow up in his face rather than the scheming woman’s.

* * *

“Charity, are actually serious?! I asked you to help me bring in our deliveries, not sit on your backside with a packet of crisps watching me and Vic struggle!” Chas stated as she walked through from the backroom with Victoria, both women panting and sweating as they looked over at the blonde who was happily sat on a bar stool eating a bag of crisps without a care in the world. “I’m sorry, Chas, but I just got my nails done, there’s no way I’m ruining them after spending 30 quid!” Charity stated with a shrug, not even the slightest bit bothered as the two other women shot daggers her way with their eyes. “Ugh, you know what, I’m too tired to even bother with telling you off, c’mon Vic, you and I have earned a drink,” Chas stated with a grin, looking at the other girl and chuckling with her as they turned to walk through the back; startling slightly as they were greeted by Robert being stood there in silence; the look on his face was enough to tell his little sister that he was in some sort of trouble. “Robert? What’s going on, you never called last night… Is it bad news?” The chef asked with a worried look on her face, biting her bottom lip as her brother simply just shook his head and asked if they could come upstairs so he could speak to them.

Without a second thought Victoria, Chas and Robert all went upstairs so they could talk in private. “Rob… Robert, please tell us, it’s bad news, isn’t it… Are you sick?” Victoria asked as she sat across from her older brother, her eyes becoming glassy as every horrible scenario started to rush through her mind. “No, no, I’m not sick… Look, it’s really hard to explain, but Aaron and I are having a baby- two actually. I’m five weeks pregnant with twins.” Robert finally explained; the two women sat across from him sat with shocked expressions on their face as they went completely silent. He didn’t expect anything different, though, this was going to be a big shock for everyone, so it was no surprise that they had reacted like this. All he could hope was that they wouldn’t have the same reaction that Aaron had. “Look, before either of you say anything, I really need your help; Rebecca knows, she came over this morning and saw the scan… She wants me to pretend I’ve cheated on Aaron with her or else she’ll go to the News and tell them about the pregnancy… I don’t know what to do.”

The room was silent for a mere five minutes, but to Robert it felt like five hours; the three adults simply just looking at one another until Chas finally broke the silence in the room, “right, I don’t know if you’ve gone mad or if this is actually true, but something is telling me I need to believe you; so I do. And with Rebecca, I think it’s only fair that we play her at her own game. But apart from that, does Aaron know?” Robert looked up at the woman and then looking at the ground, beginning to fidget with his fingers as he nodded slowly; never lifting his head up to look at his sister or his mother-in-law. Seeing her older brother’s reaction was what made it all come together in Victoria’s mind, a sad look on her face as she bit down on her bottom lip, turning to look at Chas before standing up and going over to sit beside Robert; soothingly beginning to run his back with one hand as she rested the other on his shoulder to show him support. “Is that why you wanted to be alone when you came home yesterday? Did he not take it well?” The younger girl asked, staying close to her brother as she waited for Robert to respond. “I- no, he didn’t… He lost the plot, said that my mutant offspring and I were to never go near him again.” The freckled male explained, tears welling up in his eyes as he bit his bottom lip and quickly wiped his eyes before his tears could get a chance to fall. 

Seeing Robert like this was enough for Chas to see that he wasn’t putting any of this on, but she wasn’t going to admit that; she hated it when she was wrong. “That must’ve been horrible to hear, but I promise he didn’t mean it; all he’s ever wanted is to find his soulmate and have a family of his own, and I never thought I would say this, but that soulmate is you, Robert. He’s in a dark place at the moment and I know as soon as he’s had a chance to think about it, he’ll want to see you and he will apologize for everything he said last night.” The older woman assured with a kind smile before standing up and going over to give Robert a warm hug, Victoria’s eyes beginning to water as she stepped away to give the two some room.

“Thank you,” the male said through his sniffles, wrapping his arms around Chas as he simply just held onto her and savoured the moment. “I love him so much, I don’t know what I would do if I lost him,” he admitted, sighing as he and Chas had to quickly pull away as Charity suddenly walked in.   
“Right, either I’ve hit my head coming up here, or you’re both losing the plot.”

* * *

It hadn’t even been 24 hours since he had fallen out with Robert, but Aaron was now lay on his bed in his cell alone, his thoughts running wild as tears trickled down his face as the guilt of how he treated his husband during yesterday’s visit finally started to kick in. Robert was many things, but he wasn’t someone to make up a lie as big he had told him yesterday, sure, he had never seen any real proof of his husband being pregnant with their children, but his gut was telling him that he was telling the truth. The look on Robert’s face kept playing in his mind and he really had been so upset, that was something you couldn’t fake. Sure, the older male had this charm where anything he said just naturally rolled off the tongue, but what gave all that away was his eyes; Robert’s eyes always told the truth, it was something the blond had never been able to control, it was how Aaron was always able to tell when he was being sincere. Those eyes kept flashing in his head whenever he shut his eyes and it made him feel sick to his stomach; he had been so horrible to Robert, he had called their children mutants and he said he didn’t want anything to do with either of them. That wasn’t the type of person he was and as he turned onto his side to face the wall, his emotions suddenly became too much to handle as he broke down in tears, finally allowing himself to show his true feelings. He loved Robert with all his being, there was no one else he would rather spend his life with, but he was so scared. What if he had messed everything up?


	7. Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A summary of Aaron's thoughts.

Aaron had cancelled his visit with Chas, he felt like he didn’t have a right to have a visit from his family after the way he had treated Robert; sure, his mum had decided to call him instead and yes, she had explained everything to him, even everything with Rebecca, but that only made his guilt worse. He wasn’t the type of person to cause someone so much hurt; the last thing he ever wanted to do was make the person he cared about so much feel so small and worthless, but he had, and he felt terrible about it. He hoped Robert would’ve come onto the phone, but he never did, he didn’t speak to him at all that night and Aaron knew he deserved it; he knew he didn’t deserve Robert, not after this. And yet, Robert still loved him, Robert cared about him so much that he had gone to Chas and Victoria to tell him everything Rebecca was trying to do to him, Robert had asked Chas to tell Aaron about it so they could deal with it as a family and that meant everything to him. 

He would probably never understand why Robert was still trying to put him first, but it was something he would always remain grateful for; Robert really was trying to change and that was something he never thought he would see, not because he didn’t believe in him, but because this was Robert and for some reason, he didn’t want him to change. He loved him exactly the way he was, and nothing would ever change that, but he couldn’t lie, seeing the older male attempting to make an effort really did send his heart to flutters. Chas had confirmed everything, though, Robert really was having his babies and there was an ultrasound picture that Aaron hadn’t given his husband a chance to show him; of course, he felt awful for not believing in Robert, but his mum did make him feel better by letting him know that she had reassured Robert and had cheered him up too. All he could do now was wait for his next prison visit with his husband and for the first time since he had been convicted, Aaron was genuinely excited to see him. His dream of having children with Robert was actually coming through and it made everything seem right again. All he could do now was hope that he would win his appeal and that Rebecca’s threats wouldn’t cause Robert any form of stress that could put him or their babies in danger.


	8. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron is finally released from prison as Robert starts to become self-conscious about himself.

“So, what have you decided?” Rebecca asked, her arms crossed with a smirk on her face as she watched Robert as they stood in Mill Cottage; the time had finally come for Robert to tell his former flame what he had decided regarding the offer she had made him. “Please don’t make me do this, Bex,” Robert started, frowning when the plea made Rebecca scoff and roll her eyes at him, “do you really think pleading will make me change my mind? You deserve everything you get, you’ve used me and my family far too many times; it’s time you got what you deserve.” She stated, the older man simply just running his fingers through his hair as he swallowed the lump in his throat, looking down for a moment before looking at Rebecca, “I- fine, I’ll go along with what you want… I’ll pretend that I cheated on Aaron with you.” He said sadly, looking down as he bit down on his bottom lip and frowned; the look of defeat on him making Rebecca chuckle and feel ever so smug. “I’m glad you finally saw sense, now if you’ll excuse me, I have a celebration party to organize,” the blonde stated with a grimace smirk, happily strutting out of the half-renovated home. But as soon as she was gone, Robert walked over to the window and smirked as she got into her car and drove away. As soon as she was gone, the freckled male pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a message to both Chas and Victoria;

**_She fell for it._ **

* * *

Three weeks had passed and the day of Aaron’s release from prison had finally arrived, Robert was 8 weeks along in his pregnancy and although it was unconventional, Doctor Cavanagh had been kind enough to do another ultrasound for him, so he could give it to Aaron; the ultrasound had determined that the babies were going to fraternal, which meant it would be more than likely that they would be different sexes. The excitement had once again returned to Robert after he and Aaron had made up with one another, they had talked through everything and it was safe to say that Aaron too was growing excited, most of his excitement being from the thought of actually being able to be by his husband’s side and experience everything with him. Sure, everything with Rebecca had left a sour taste in their mouth, but they had everything worked out, so all they had to do was let Rebecca see them fighting before finally being able to go home together and forget about it all. 

As Robert sat in his car outside of the prison, he couldn’t help but fidget as his nerves started to settle in; he tugged on his jacket, he tried to pull on his shirt, he kept looking at the slowly growing bump that he was convinced could be seen already. He knew if anything Aaron would be excited to see it, but it was something that the older male was quickly becoming self-conscious about. The reality was that nothing could be seen unless he was shirtless, otherwise the smallest little mound could be seen, and Victoria thought it was adorable, Chas was yet to say anything, but she said all pregnancy tummies were adorable, she was yet to see his, but he wasn’t planning on letting anyone see it until there was no hiding it anymore. 

After fixing himself for the hundredth time, the prison gates finally opened, and Robert got out of the car as he saw Aaron step out in the suit he had left in, the two locking eyes with one another before quickly walking over to one another for a warm embrace; both of their eyes welling up with tears as they held onto one another like they would wake up and it would all turn out to be a cruel dream. “I love you, I love you so much,” Robert sniffled, kissing Aaron on the cheek before being kissed lovingly on the lips by him, pulling back to wipe the younger male’s tears away; a warm smile on his face as he snuggled closer to the freckled male, Robert unable to hold in his blush as Aaron lightly rested his hands on his small baby bump. “I still can’t believe you’re pregnant; we’re going to be dads,” he said in a whisper, looking up at Robert and smiling warmly at him before once again pressing their lips together and then going to get into the car.

* * *

Aaron hadn’t wanted any sort of welcome home party, so one wasn’t organized, so Robert decided to go upstairs with his boyfriend and just spend some quality time with him. Chas had understood the reason behind it, they needed some alone time together where it was in private and no longer in a room where they had to worry about people hearing or watching them at all times. 

“I’m so sorry for how I treated you, I don’t deserve to be forgiven.” Aaron said with a frown, Robert simply just sighing as he turned on his side to look at his husband as they lay on their double bed together, “Aaron, stop. That wasn’t you talking that day, you know I forgive you- I would never hold that against you,” he started, interlocking their fingers together and smiling warmly at the brunette as he gazed in his eyes. “I love you no matter what, Aaron, you mean everything to me. For better and for worse, okay? You mean everything to me.” He explained, Aaron simply just smiling and blushing as he moved closer to him so he could press their lips together for a loving and passionate kiss. “I love you, Robert Sugden, I don’t know what I would do without you.” Sitting up, Aaron grinned down at Robert, chuckling as he lifted up the older male’s shirt and leaned down to pepper kiss around his small bump. “You think I don’t know you, but I do,” the brunette started, looking up at his husband and smiling, “you’re beautiful; you always have been and you always will be. I can’t wait until you really start showing, forget what everyone else thinks especially Rebecca. She’s nothing but a nosey cow.” He stated, Robert simply just nodding in response and he lightly ran his fingers through Aaron’s hair as he continued to look down at him.

* * *

For the rest of the night all the two did was cuddle, kiss and enjoy every moment together. It was safe to say that their night definitely went from full romance to full steamy passion, but it was something they both needed and enjoyed. Robert wasn’t afraid to bear all of himself out for Aaron and Aaron felt the same way with Robert. They could share their biggest insecurities with one another and that was something neither of them had ever had in a relationship, which was what made theirs so special.

With one more mutual I love you, the two fell asleep in one another’s arms, both of them confident that they could get through anything Rebecca wanted to throw at them no matter what.


	9. Spoke Out of Turn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron's temper gets the better of him and he ends up saying something he shouldn't have.

Robert was officially 20 weeks pregnant and he was definitely showing, it had made him far more self-conscious than anyone had expected, and it really wasn’t a good thing; he wasn’t underweight, but he rarely ever left the house and Aaron knew better than anyone that those types of habits were far from healthy. It didn’t help that Rebecca was still trying to pile all of this pressure on him, threatening to tell the entire world that he was pregnant if he didn’t do as she said, it was irritating Aaron more and more every day, but he knew letting it out that he and Robert knew about everything would just add to it all and the older male was already stressed enough. 

He had slept in all morning, it was 12 in the afternoon and Robert was still fast asleep and it was beginning to worry Aaron, the younger brunette made his way through the back of the pub to run upstairs and go check on his husband, sighing as he stood at the door and listened to his boyfriend’s gentle snores. He slowly stepped into the room and sat on the edge of the bed next to Robert, smiling softly to himself as the duvet covers fell under his bump; unable to resist giving it a gentle rub and chuckling quietly as one of the twins kicked. “Good afternoon to you too,” Aaron whispered with a smile, pulling the covers back over Robert before standing up and kissing his husband’s forehead.

* * *

Once he was back downstairs helping his mum out at the bar Rebecca came in acting as self-righteous as ever as she looked over at Aaron and grinned, in her eyes he looked dishevelled and broken, but the reality of the situation was that he was simply trying not to seem as smug in return as she looked over at him with such confidence. “So, Aaron, where’s Robert? Still grovelling I take it?” She asked, noticing how Aaron was no longer wearing his wedding ring, Aaron just rolled his eyes and turned away from her, rubbing his forehead and gritting his teeth as he tried to keep his composure. “No, actually, he’s upstairs. Asleep,” the brunette retaliated, turning back around to face the blonde; his arms crossed as he gave her a look, leaning over the bar as he watched her like a hawk. “I hate to break it to ye, but you’ve got no right waltzing in here with that smug little grin on your face.” Aaron stated, glaring at Rebecca as Victoria and Chas practically chased after him as he stormed over to the blonde’s table. “Leave Robert alone, I’m only going to ask once,” he threatened, Rebecca practically laughing in his face as she took her coat off and placed it on the back of her chair.

Just then, Robert came out from the back, noticing what was going on before rushing over and gently taking hold of Aaron’s arm. “Aaron, leave it…” The older male tried, frowning as his husband slightly tugged his arms away. Aaron’s temper was quickly raising and usually that wasn’t a good thing; when Aaron lost his temper, he said and did things that he, later on, went to regret. “Get out of here before I make you get out,” the brunette threatened, Rebecca simply just scoffed as she crossed her arms and gave the two males a look. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?” She pushed, locking her eyes with Aaron’s, “you think you’re so smug walking in here like you have sort of power over us, but you don’t, you never have; I knew you threatened Robert, we never did split up, we’ve been together the entire time but because you’re you, you fell for the entire thing before you’re nothing but a dozy cow. You live this pathetic little life where you only get joy from hurting everyone else, but I’ll tell you right now, the reason you’re single isn’t because you’ve got too high a standard, it’s because you’re nothing but a dirty little tart who will open her legs for anyone that gives you even a little bit of attention.” Aaron stated, everyone going quiet as they looked at him with shocked expressions on their faces.

Rebecca glared at Aaron for a moment, but she was quick to change her sights to Robert; he had made her look like a fool again and she had warned him not to play any games with her again, but he had and this time she wasn’t just about to roll over anymore. He was going to pay, both him and Aaron were going to regret the day they messed with her. “Fine, if that’s how you feel, don’t forget to buy the newspapers tomorrow morning. Front page, boys.” She warned as she stood up, picking up her bag and coat before storming out as everyone just watched in complete silence.

All Aaron could do was look at Robert, who had now gone pale and completely silent. “Robert, I’m so-”

There was a thud as something hit the floor, gasps filling the room.

_“ROBERT!”_


End file.
